SAINTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, KAMARA, ACTION!
The New Orleans Saints and Alvin Kamara faced their playoff Grinch in the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day. The teams have embroiled in some of the most controversial games in the past four seasons.
Most have finished with the most dramatic endings that "STINKED, STANKED, AND STUNKED" for the New Orleans Saints and Who Dats. This year, the game became one for the record books, and Dr. Seuss' "Team Grinch (Vikings)" was put away and eliminated from playoff contention.
Alvin Kamara sported his red and green Christmas themed cleats (a violation of the NFL’s uniform policy). Acknowledging he may be fined, Kamara light-hearted called the NFL the “Grinch.”
“If they fine me, I’ll just match it and send it to charity. The Grinch always tries to steal Christmas.”
The potential fine did not hinder Kamara’s game or what was to come. New Orleans and Drew Brees moved the ball at will against the Vikings’ defense in a 52-33 victory. Brees notched another record in his Hall of Fame career by surpassing 80,000 passing yards as a quarterback. The first to achieve this feat in NFL history.
Alvin Kamara racked up 267 yards, rushing for an astounding six touchdowns to tie a long time NFL record. Kamara was not focused on breaking the record but merely winning.
By halftime, Kamara had three touchdowns, and that is when he walked over to running backs coach Joel Thomas to ask what was the single-game record. “They came back to me and told me six, and I was like, let’s go" exclaimed Kamara.
© Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
“That’s the focus every week, man,” said Kamara. “We want to win. Obviously, just dropping two like we have the past two weeks sucks. But we just had to stay focused and kept preparing just down the stretch and keep doing what we believe in and focus on what’s going on inside our building. We could come out and put on a show. A lot of guys’ families are here. It’s Christmas, obviously. It just felt good to be back in the winning column.”
Alvin Kamara had five touchdowns, yet he stood on the Saints sidelines relaxed. However, the time on the play clock was about to run out for one more touchdown. Who would have guessed rookie tight end Adam Trautman would escape behind the Vikings linebackers and into their secondary to catch a nicely placed 41-yard pass from Brees?
Trautman's catch helped to set up Kamara for one last attempt at the record. That stunning reception will always be a part of Saints folklore, and so will Kamara's touchdowns.
Soon after the big catch, Kamara recorded his sixth rushing touchdown to tie Ernie Nevers, Dub Jones, and Gale Sayers for the most touchdowns in a single-game record. Only Nevers and Kamara completed the feat by rushing the football. Nevers' 91-year-old record was smashed by the Saints' superstar running back by playing only 60% of the team's offensive snaps.
© Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Sayers' accomplishment in 1965 for the Chicago Bears was considered one of the best single-game performances of all time. Since then, the league's focus has been less on running backs and more on passing. The running back position has become almost a relic of a bygone era.
Gale Sayers died in September at the age of 77. His legendary running style and catching ability parallels Kamara's. The Hall of Famer was smooth, graceful, and lethal in open space - but so is Kamara.
The Saints, Brees, and Kamara exorcised the Minnesota Grinch on Christmas! No need to Stink, Stank, and Stunk for another year in The Crescent City.
“We had to come in. They knocked us out of the playoffs twice. So this is kind of personal,” Marshon Lattimore admitted. “We went in and we got the job done. That’s what it is.”
The End.
